There are realities beyond our sight that are more lasting
and real than the things we can see with our eyes. For example, the Bible teaches that there are
angels and demons, but we are not able to see them, yet they are just as real
as the things we can touch and feel. In
the previous section of James, James called on us to see beyond the trials, no
matter how heinous and difficult, to see that the trials are God's tools for
making us more mature and complete. Just
as we were called upon to see beyond the trials to their true purpose, we are
called upon to see beyond the temporal reality of wealth and poverty, to
perceive our true standing in the gospel.
The gospel is the great
inverter. The gospel does not promise a
redistribution of earthly wealth, rather in the gospel God distributes grace to
all, so that the poor brother should glory in his exaltation before God. The one who is poor in this life, will rule
with Jesus the King in the life to come.
Because of this, the poor one should not define himself by his poverty
in this life. Rather, the poor brother
should see this life for what it is, it is transitory, and the life to come,
the life of exaltation, will be forever.
Thus, the poor brother should base his life now on the fact that one day
he will be exalted. The poor brother may
be poor in earthly wealth, but in the last day when Jesus returns, he will
inherit the earth.
The temporal nature of this life is
also instructive for the brother who is rich.
The Bible is clear that wealth is not evil, but wealth is a particular
difficulty, because the wealthy one is tempted to trust in his wealth for
security. James reminds the wealthy in
this passage, that wealth will secure no one from death. The important and powerful ones in this life
are nothing more than the beautiful blossoms of the field, they are beautiful
for a time, but their beauty is destroyed by the heat of the sun. The wealthy and the important in this life
are only wealthy and important for a time, so because of this the rich brother
should not base his assessment of himself on the transitoriness of this life's
wealth. What is the rich brother to
do? The same thing as the poor brother,
assess himself in light of the gospel.
The gospel did not come to the rich
man because he was rich, it came to him because he is sinful. The antidote for pride in this passage is to
see the cross with all of its humiliation.
By trusting the gospel the rich brother says implicitly, "God did
in Christ, what I could not do on my own."
In other words, in the gospel grace comes to the rich man because he is
a sinner, not because he is wealthy.
Thus, the rich man should remember his true standing, and base his life
on it.